In the hierarchy of sparkle, sequins have always been the serfs. Diamonds are at the top, of course; then crystals, which have ascended rapidly up fashion's ranks thanks to the nous of Nadja Swarovski, who saw the potential of her grandfather's company beyond cute little mice figurines.

Next in the pecking order come rhinestones, then diamanté and, last of all, sequins, traditionally the gilding of choice for women who couldn't afford anything better.

How well I remember standing on a street corner in Edinburgh, resplendent in a silver sequined skirt, while some man leant out of a car window and asked me: "How much?" £10.99 from What Every Woman Wants, since you ask.

Sequins aren't like that any more. Sequins have gone upmarket: to the highest echelons of society, in fact.

At the Royal Academy summer party, rare was the guest who didn't see fit to celebrate the unveiling of Tracey Emin's latest work by donning a little sequined something.

On the same night, a mere postcode away at the Harvey Nichols dinner for Rodarte, the sequins were out in force as guests vied to outshine each other in the Fifth Floor bar.

Silver and gold are proving less popular this season: more modern are tiny seed sequins or oversized paillettes, either in black, gunmetal grey or cream.

Not that sequins need be confined to dresses. Blame two designers for the proliferation of sequins on everything from jackets to trousers this summer: Dries Van Noten and Christophe Decarnin at Balmain.

Along with one Miss Carrie Bradshaw, each designer, in his own way, has done much to make sequins acceptable options for day. And why shouldn't they be? Dark days need not mean dark clothes.

With the current economic outlook, we all need a little bit of sparkle in our lives.